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Pretty aren’t they? I’m no expert on wild flowers but, if I am to believe the Collins Gem guide, it is the Cuckoo flower. AKA Lady’s Smock, Milkmaids and Meadow Bitter-Cress, it is found in marshes and damp meadows. That was the clincher – it is that here for sure. It’s edible too. Hey, a new salad ingredient!

There’s much more photo opportunity portside, the towpath being across the river, and the people watching potential is brilliant. But I am loathe to point my camera in the face of the ‘innocent bystander’ and have been ever since my time in South Africa 2010.These women clearly did not want their picture taken, something of which I was blissfully unaware until John pointed out I was about to get stoned. And not in a good way. See the one on the right, arming herself with a rock as the one on the left covers up?

I had no wish to offend or frighten these people; my actions borne out of ignorance of their culture. For that I am sorry.On the other hand, these boys positively relished being in focus and flashed gorgeous grins at my camera. There was a dead cow in the bakkie – see the blood running onto the road? A feast for the family.

Both shots were taken on approach to the Kei River bridge during the run up to Christmas, a particularly manic time on South African roads, as we returned from our epic road trip to visit John’s boys at their anti-poaching unit up near the Mozambique border.

Some towns were totally gridlocked.

So, it remains to be seen whether I brave the towpath people shots or not. I don’t want to upset anyone and you never never know do you?